Joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel struck two major Iranian airports on Tuesday, March 3, destroying a civilian aircraft and further escalating the widening military confrontation with Tehran.
Iranian media reported that a parked passenger aircraft belonging to Iran Air was destroyed during a strike on Bushehr Airport in southern Iran.
The aircraft was on the ground at the time of the attack, and there were no immediate reports of casualties linked to the incident.
Images circulated by state-affiliated outlets showed charred wreckage and scattered debris across the tarmac at the airport, located in the strategic port city of Bushehr.
Around the same time, Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport, one of the country’s main domestic aviation hubs, was also targeted by strikes, with reports of smoke rising from areas close to the runway.
Israeli forces reportedly issued evacuation warnings before the attacks, saying the targets were linked to military infrastructure.
However, Iranian officials condemned the strikes, describing them as “terrorist” attacks on non-combatant locations.
READ ALSO: Israeli Airstrikes Kill Nine In Gaza As Ceasefire Tensions Escalate
The strikes form part of a broader US-Israeli military campaign launched in recent days against Iranian military and strategic targets. .
First Daily reports that the conflict intensified following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during earlier strikes, triggering retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Iran against US and Israeli interests across the region.
The incident has intensified concerns about the safety of civilian infrastructure as the conflict expands.
Hundreds of people have already been reported killed, while several hospitals and schools have been damaged in the fighting.
Operations at nearby facilities, including the Bushehr nuclear site, have also been affected.
Analysts warn the conflict could trigger wider disruptions to regional air travel, as well as impact Gulf energy routes and global aviation safety.
Iran has vowed to retaliate, while the United States and Israel maintain that the ongoing operation is aimed at weakening Iran’s military capabilities.